Join the Party: Now Anyone Can Become a Glass Explorer

Update: April 24, 2014

Looks the the one day availability was a precursor to a wider launch, as now anyone can buy a pair of the Glass Explorer Edition without needing an invite. Check out Google's Glass Shop for some easy ordering, still with the $1500 price tag.

Previous One Day Availability

For one day only, at least until the commercial launch, you can purchase Google's Glass and become a Glass Explorer. That's right, no requesting an invitation and no waiting for acceptance, simply order a pair like you would order socks on Amazon. Sales begin at 6am PDT on April 15th and go until the end of day.

The big difference, of course, is the hefty price tag. These puppies aren't cheap, but if you've got a curious mind and $1500 (and reside in the United States), you can order yourself a pair directly from Google.

Five color options and a selection of lens (both prescription and sunglass) are available at purchase at no extra cost.

KitKat Update

Glass is about to see a major software update, bringing it in line with the latest version of Android, 4.4 KitKat. While the biggest nugget of the update may be the removal of buggy video calling, other backend and navigational tweaks make this a very user friendly update.

Voice commands will now be intelligently sorted, photos will be bundled for easier browsing, and photo replies will be a click away in Hangouts.

Should You Get One?

This is kind of a funny question. I've been playing around with Glass for a couple of months, and have done some cool things with them, like translate text on the spot and share even faster and more seamlessly to social media, but at this point I can't say that the price justifies the product.

That being said, if you have some disposable income and a curiosity for the next wave of wearable tech, this Glass promotion offers an great opportunity to join a fairly exclusive club. From doctors to tech enthusiasts, these wearables are slowly becoming more accepted, but the keyword here is slowly.

The price point is a big segregator, but the concept of Glass is something that Google is working hard to correct. They don't want Explorers seen as nerdy outcasts or creepy pervs, so opening up the program to the masses is a good step towards alleviating misconceptions. And hey, even Ellen's getting in on the fun.